The Counselor
by Rumon Gray
Summary: A troubled student has a meeting with a school official, and it's not exactly what he expected.
School was already out, and everybody was leaving, but I just sat there in the hallway. I glanced down at the referral slip in my hand and just shook my head. Of course the one day I show up for classes and they had to go and pull a stunt like this. I have to go, now, otherwise I'd never hear the end of it from mom, for sure. And even at her best she'd never really be as helpful as she should be.

Counseling. What a joke. Did anybody ever really get anything out of visiting a high-school counselor?

It started to get quiet now. Everybody was finally shuffling out of the building on their way to their homes, while I was just stuck there in my hallway prison. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw somebody that was really...short? He wore a blue jacket, at the very least. I didn't catch a good glimpse of him, but I'd heard the rumors at least. The news went on an on about how these...what, "monsters," were integrating into society? I mean, it's pretty cool, I guess, but it's weird. Why didn't we know about them until a few years ago?

I tried to turn my head fast enough to catch a good look, but he was gone. Besides, the door next to me finally clicked and swung open. My classmate, Amy came out, which was strange because I'd always thought she had everything together. She was an honor student, if I remembered correctly, why would she have to go see the counselor at all?

"Hey, he's ready for you," she told me, grinning from ear to ear.

I stood up and tried not to stare. Was she really that happy? "Oh. Okay."

She almost skipped down the hall before I decided to get just a bit more.

"Amy!"

"Yeah?!" She spun on her heels.

"Are you...alright?"

I saw her eyes drift to the side for a second, a sad look flashing across her face. "I...dunno, but I feel a lot better. I mean...sure, I think I'll be okay."

I sighed. She walked up to me, because she always could look right through me. "Hey, so...I know it's a bit weird, but trust me. Go see him. He's...I dunno how to explain it, but...I feel a lot better. About everything."

I still had no idea what was wrong, but I had to assume it was domestic issues. She was always happy to be here at school.

"Okay, laters," I said. She waved and bounced back down the hall on her way home.

I looked at my referral slip once more, and growled a bit. Amy still had so much potential, a future ahead of her. I reached up toward the doorknob and touched it, but hesitated. Why did I even agree to this? I didn't have to, technically we _all_ have choices. I turned the knob and pushed the door open, closing it again with a nice-sounding click. The counselor's chair was turned away from me, facing the window. His desk was very tidy, and on one corner were some...action figures? Even weirder was the bubbling pot in the far corner of the room.

It smelled like...pasta? Weird.

"HAVE A SEAT, PLEASE."

I gulped. I felt so unbelievably nervous, and I had no idea why. I'd gotten in trouble before, but it was just detention or suspension. Those I could deal with. This felt so much more...intimate. I felt like this guy was going to just...tear me apart or something. I sat down and hunched my shoulders, still not knowing entirely why. I was in trouble, that was plain as day, and I hated the feeling.

He spun his chair around, catching himself on his desk with red-gloved hands. I looked up, slowly, and didn't even have a lot of time to process it before...

"GREETINGS, HUMAN!"

A skeleton?!

I almost fell backwards out of my chair, but I managed to catch my balance. He was a...skeleton! A _monster!_ And for a monster, he was...impeccably dressed. A green sweater over a collared white t-shirt, with a red...scarf or ascot around his neck. I wasn't entirely sure why he wore red gloves, though. And then there was his face.

That smile. It was so...genuine.

"I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE CALLED YOU HERE FOR COUNSELING. I DO NOT BELIEVE WE'VE MET BEFORE!" He offered a gloved hand. "IT IS NICE TO MEET YOU!"

I was stunned. I'd never met a monster before, but I'd heard they were around, especially here at Ebott. But to have one here, right in front of my face? Talking to me? ...Smiling at me?

I grabbed his hand and he squeezed mine. I could feel it, the feeling of bony fingers grasping mine warmly. Even through the gloves I could feel it as he shook just a bit too hard.

"THERE WE ARE. DID THE GLOVES HELP? MY BROTHER SUGGESTED I WEAR GLOVES SO THAT MY HANDS WOULDN'T...WHAT DID HE SAY...'FREAK THE KIDS OUT'?"

We released each other and I sat back down. I chuckled. "Yeah, a bit."

"GREAT! NOW THAT WE ARE INTRODUCED, HUMAN, WE SHOULD GET TO THE MATTER AT HAND!"

Here it comes. I knew it was too good to be true. I had to admit, this guy was...strange, but he was kinda cool, too. Maybe it was because he wasn't just another stuffy guy in a suit, or an old lady just waiting another couple of years to retire. Maybe it was because he was so different entirely.

He opened a couple of folders on his desk that had my name on them. I suppose they were my academic and disciplinary records, respectively.

"YOU KNOW, I LIKE TO TREAT EVERY CASE LIKE A PUZZLE. TO FIGURE OUT JUST WHAT THE PROBLEM IS AND TO FIND ITS SOLUTION, BUT SOMETIMES I CAN'T DO THAT WITHOUT FIRST SPEAKING TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE, LIKE YOU! SO! I'M SURE YOU KNOW WHY YOU'RE HERE, CORRECT?"

That smile just didn't give up.

"I...guess it's because I haven't been coming to school...?"

"CORRECT! WELL DONE!"

...'well done?'

"YOUR INSTRUCTORS HAVE BEEN A BIT WORRIED ABOUT YOU, AND IT ISN'T JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T BEEN SHOWING UP TO CLASS. THERE'S SOME REAL MYSTERY HERE THAT I'VE BEEN _DYING_ TO SOLVE!"

He opened up my academic folder and tossed a few documents my way. I remembered them immediately, they were tests that I'd taken in the last couple of months. I never really showed up to get them back, I always figured I was going to flunk out. But...wait, what?"

"YOUR GRADES," he said, pointing a gloved finger at the marks at the tops of each one.

The first one was from my Language and Literature class. I remember writing an essay, but it'd been so long that I couldn't even remember what the prompt was. At the top of the page was a red circled "B+." I opened it up to the essay question and realized I'd gotten a perfect score, and the only questions I'd missed were about the books we were reading.

The second one was Pre-Calculus. This stuff was pretty easy for me, and even when I _did_ show up I barely paid attention. "A-" was at the top of the page. I remember I felt pretty good about that test.

The third one was AP Physics. Out of all the classes I skipped, I skipped this one the least, both because it was all so interesting, and because the teacher was pretty cool. There was a lot of hard material to remember, though. I had a lot of difficulty remembering a lot of the formulas off the top of my head.

...wait, I got an "A"? A ninety-eight percent? But I forgot so much!

"YOU SEE, YOUR INSTRUCTORS ARE PERPLEXED. YOU DON'T SHOW UP TO CLASS, YOU DON'T FINISH OR TURN IN YOUR HOMEWORK. HOWEVER, EVERY TIME YOU SHOW UP FOR A TEST, YOU PASS WITH HIGH MARKS! IT'S TRULY REMARKABLE, HUMAN!"

"I...guess so."

"YOU DON'T LOOK...HAPPY ABOUT THIS."

"I mean...I dunno, I guess it doesn't matter."

"DOESN'T MATTER? CLEARLY YOU HAVE THE APTITUDE TO DO WHATEVER IT IS YOU FEEL LIKE! AND YOUR PHYSICS TEACHER IS PARTICULARLY IMPRESSED WITH YOUR GRADES!"

"Well, yeah, I mean, I like the class, it's cool."

I really wasn't expecting any of this. I was waiting for the "verbal warnings," the "threats of expulsion" and the like, the things that would send my mom into a rage. Well...another rage. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, and I just couldn't think of anything else to say.

"SOMETHING IS WRONG. SOMETHING ELSE," he said, stroking his jawbone with his finger.

"I..."

"IS...EVERYTHING OKAY...AT HOME?"

I couldn't believe it. I'd known this guy for about ten minutes and he already figured me out so clearly. Maybe he was better than I thought.

I didn't respond. I just...shook my head.

"OKAY, SO TELL ME WHAT YOUR TYPICAL ROUTINE IS ONCE YOU GO HOME FROM SCHOOL."

"Well, I mean, I usually spend time hanging out with my friends at their places before I get home, and then I get a text from mom and head over. Once I get home, I cook up a TV dinner, and go up to my room and just...spend the rest of the evening there."

"DO YOU...EVEN SPEAK TO YOUR MOTHER?"

I couldn't answer. It hurt.

"I SEE."

He stood up and walked over to the kettle in the corner, picking up the ladle and stirring. He tapped it on the side again and placed it back down on its plate before turning toward me again.

"I TRIED TO CALL YOUR MOTHER, YOU KNOW."

"What?!"

"WELL...LIKE I SAID, I 'TRIED.' HER SPEECH WAS REALLY...NOT SOBERY, SO I DON'T KNOW IF SHE KNEW WHAT I WAS SAYING. SHE HUNG UP ON ME ABOUT...TEN TIMES OUT OF TEN."

I sighed. "Yeah. That sounds like her."

"HMM."

He turned back toward his window again and nodded to himself.

"ALLOW ME TO SHARE WITH YOU SOME COMPLEX FEELINGS."

He turned toward me again, one hand grasping his ascot and another resting on a bony hip. He looked so sure of himself. He certainly didn't lack for confidence like...I did.

"THE FEELING OF KNOWING SOMEBODY SO BRIGHT COULD FIND THEMSELVES SO DIMMED BY SOMEBODY WHO SHOULD BE DOING BETTER. THE FEELING OF SEEING SOMEBODY WISHING FOR SOME WAY TO IMPROVE, BUT NOT EXACTLY KNOWING HOW."

He slammed his hands on his desk and leaned in toward me.

"HUMAN! I HAVE TO TELL YOU NOW, I, THE GREAT COUNSELOR PAPYRUS, WILL NOT GIVE UP ON YOU SO EASILY! I KNOW YOU HAVE IT IN YOU TO DO JUST A LITTLE BIT BETTER!"

It was so sudden. I was in a bit of shock. "I..."

"WHEN YOU'RE IN YOUR ROOM, WHAT DO YOU SPEND YOUR TIME DOING?"

"Well...I spend time on the computer, but a lot of time I do read the textbooks and stuff when I'm really bored. Especially Physics, I really like that kinda stuff."

"SCIENCEY STUFF, EH? MY BROTHER EXCELS IN THE FIELD, PERHAPS YOU TWO WOULD GET ALONG. ALTHOUGH YOU SEEM LIKE YOU HAVE A MUCH MORE REFINED TASTE FOR JOKES."

"...huh?"

"NEVERMIND. THE POINT IS, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I BELIEVE IN YOU. I BELIEVE IN YOUR ABILITY TO REALLY FOCUS ON THE THINGS YOU CARE ABOUT! THAT KIND OF DEDICATION IS AN IMPORTANT ASSET TO HAVE, AND NOT EVERYBODY CAN HAVE ONE AS STRONG AS YOURS!"

Dedication? All I did was read things when I was bored, but...was that really what I was doing?

"You...think so?"

He slammed his hands on the desk again. "I KNOW SO!"

That smile...it just didn't give up, did it? But now I didn't want it to. I felt myself beginning to match it just a bit.

He stood up and went back to the kettle, and grabbed a plate. He drew out some long, soft noodles and piled them on, and then reached behind the kettle to grab a large saucepan. He poured the sauce on the noodles and looked at his creation for a moment before nodding.

"THE NOODLES ARE READY."

He moved all of my documents aside and set the plate in front of me, and then poured me a glass of milk from a nearby mini-fridge.

"I HAVE A PROPOSITION FOR YOU."

"...you want me to eat spaghetti?"

"YES. BUT THAT'S NOT IT. I'VE BEEN GIVEN THE AUTHORITY TO STRIKE ALL THESE ABSENCES FROM YOUR RECORD, AND TO REINSTATE IT TO BE IN 'GOOD STANDING.' THIS IS ON THE CONDITION THAT YOU HOLD YOURSELF TO THE TARDINESS AND ABSENCE POLICY OF THE SCHOOL FROM THIS DAY FORWARD!"

I didn't know what to say. My mouth hung open as that smile just kept staring back at me.

"DO NOT SAY ANYTHING. JUST EAT. WHEN YOU ARE FINISHED, YOU CAN TELL ME WHAT YOUR DECISION IS."

I looked at the plate in front of me and picked up the fork. It was probably the tastiest meal I'd had in a long time, and it beat the hell out of a packaged dinner. It was actually very, very good. Inspiring almost, and the milk was just the right thing to wash it all down. Before I knew it, I'd wolfed down the entire meal.

"That was...great! Do you cook stuff like this often?!"

"OF COURSE! AND...IF YOU'D LIKE...MY DOOR IS ALWAYS OPEN IF YOU...NEED MORE SOMETIME."

He really was good. He knew exactly what to say. Somehow, that smile wasn't fake at all. It was real. This monster, no...this _person_ was really really real. I felt the tears prick the back of my eyeballs as my nose started to stuff up a bit. It was surprising.

Before I really let go, Papyrus knelt down just a bit and hugged me.

He knew.

"HUMAN. YOU CAN ALWAYS COME AND VISIT ME, BUT ON ONE CONDITION."

I was ready to tell him anything he wanted. This was...too nice to take for granted.

"YOU HAVE TO COME TO SCHOOL, ALRIGHT?"

"I..."

I trembled a bit, but then I just decided to hug back. He patted my head and sighed a bit. "I KNOW. IT'S HARD, ISN'T IT?"

We released each other, and I kept looking into those smiling eyes.

"Yeah."

He cleared his throat in an attempt to maintain his composure, but there was something else there now. While I was on the verge of tears, I didn't notice that this was affecting him just as strongly as it was hitting me. It was such a strangely surreal moment. One that felt like I'd never really forget.

"SO! WILL I SEE YOU AT MY OFFICE TOMORROW?!"

I stood up and gave him a smile. The first one I'd really felt genuine about in a long time.

"Yeah. Yeah I'll be here, if that's okay."

"OF COURSE IT IS! AND REMEMBER, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, BELIEVE IN YOU! YOU CAN DO ANYTHING YOU SET YOUR MIND TO!"

"Thanks," I said, waving as I left the office.

Maybe he was right.

Maybe I can.

Maybe I _will._


End file.
